Never Too Old For Adventure
by Alexandrorca
Summary: Ten-year-old Hauser is getting really fed up with his friends. Ever since Griamore and Gilthunder started serving the princesses, they never want to do anything cool anymore! Well, today, he's going to do something about it.


"I'm sooo bored!" Hauser announced as he fell dramatically back on the grass.

"Shut up, Hauser." Griamore retorted flatly.

They were sitting on a town green about a mile from the castle, waiting for the princesses to get out of their lessons so that Gilthunder and Griamore could wait on them.

"Seriously guys? Why can't we have adventures anymore?"

Gil smiled at the word. They had certainly had their share of adventures, ranging from outlandish pranks on the citizens of the capitol that earned them severe scoldings from their fathers, to a simple walk to the market. Sometimes, it was all in how you looked at it that mattered. But now that they had jobs to do…

"Sorry Hauser, we're too old for adventures now." The ten-year old Gil said with a hint of remorse.

Hauser shook his head. "We're never too old for adventures! Come on, you guys were okay with them just a few months ago! Let's go do something fun. Let's go switch all the baker's sugar for salt again!" He suggested a little too loudly, earning the boys a few strange looks from passerby. Thankfully, the baker or his family weren't among them.

"I've _told_ you, Lady Veronica will yell if we get in trouble again!"

"So? Let her yell! At least we'll have some fun first!"

Gil sighed. He could already tell Hauser was baiting his cousin out of boredom. Griamore stood up and crossed his arms. "Father says we always have to give the princesses our greatest respect!"

Gil nodded. "My father says so too. Let it go, Hauser."  
"But Griamore is ALWAYS talking about Lady Veronica! Do you like her or something?"

Uh oh. Gil scooted away from the tree he had been leaning against to stand a few feet away. Hauser's face lit up and curled into a smirk as he saw Griamore's face darken. "You like her!"

"I don't! Shut _up_ , Hauser!"

Hauser glanced around for a moment and grabbed a stick. He danced over to the angry Griamore and bopped him hard on the head with a loud THWACK! He quickly darted out of Griamore's reach, but not before singing, "Griamore's got a cruuuu-uuuush!" He stepped off the green and started running down the streets. Gilthunder agreed that was the smartest move at this point. "Catch me or I'll tell the whole town!"

"I'll kill him." Griamore said as he searched for another stick. As he picked up a rather large branch, Gil realized he'd better get one as well.

"Wait for me, guys!" Gil said as he dashed after his friends.

"Hey, guess what everybody? Griamore is in love with Lady-" but Hauser's words were cut off with a loud OOF, and Gil saw that they were already engaged in an epic stick-to-stick battle. He grinned and joined them- not on anyone's side, but just getting in a few "sword" strikes in to mix up the game when he felt like it.

It seemed the sword fight was still more of a chase, however, as Hauser kept having to back away from Griamore's fury. He sent little gusts of wind back at the larger boy, trying to throw him off course, but his aim wasn't the best, and he only succeeded in disturbing people's vegetable displays and ruffling people's clothes. "You shall never defeat me, you sissies!" Hauser called behind him.

"Nay!" Gilthunder shouted as he narrowly bumped into a now-discombobulated woman. "You must face the wrath of the mighty Sir Gilthunder and Sir Griamore!"

But the latter boy was falling behind after nearly careening into a cart. "I'll stop you both in the name of the Princesses!"

Hauser leapt from a crate, and then to a barrel, which fell onto its side and rolled into the street.

"Whoa!" Gil shouted, dodging quickly.

"Hey! What are you kids-" The voice of the angry shopkeeper faded away over the sounds of the boys' laughs and taunts. It had been way too long since they'd done something like this. As they kept running and fighting, they barely noticed they were underneath the windows of the castle.

"I got you now!" Griamore shouted as he cornered Hauser against the stone wall.

"I'll save you, Hauser!" Gil pushed the larger boy aside, and they tumbled to the ground.

Hauser scrambled over to them. "You guys okay?" But the other two boys weren't listening as they started to wrestle on the ground. Hauser laughed and joined them in their brawl. They remained there, kicking, biting, hooting, and rolling, until they heard an indignant voice.

"What are you boys DOING?" she said as she came around the corner of the castle.

Griamore immediately stopped yanking on Gilthunder's ear and straightened. "Lady Veronica," He bowed his head, "We-"

But Veronica cut him off. "The tutor asked us to come out and tell you to be quiet, but now that I'm out here…"She knelt down and picked up one of the discarded sticks, grinning devilishly. "I'll play too!"

"All _right_!" Hauser said happily.

"Wait, Veronica! You can't! Father will be angry if you play with the boys again!"

Veronica huffed as her sister caught up, "Oh, Ellie…"

But as she kept running, Elizabeth tripped on a cobblestone and fell onto the street.

Immediately, all three future knights were at their young princess's side, her sister close on their heels. But Gilthunder reached her first. "Lady Elizabeth, are you all right?" He looked her up and down for injuries. She had skinned her knee, and was bleeding a bit.

Grimamore tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around her leg. "That should be okay for now."

"Does it hurt?" Veronica asked her.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, please don't worry about me, everyone."

"Princess, please be more careful," Gil said gently.

Hauser helped Elizabeth to her feet. "Yeah, don't scare us like that!"

"I'm sorry, everyone!" Elizabeth looked at them shyly. "But… can I play too?"

The boys and the older princess glanced at each other. Rough-housing with Veronica was nothing new, but with Elizabeth…

Finally, Hauser made up his mind and roared. "Oh no! Lady Elizabeth has fallen right into my trap! I am a hungry dragon, and I only eat PRINCESSES!" He said and he lunged towards her with his hands curled into claws.

Elizabeth squealed and ran away, Hauser following slowly so it appeared he couldn't catch up.

Veronica stepped forward, but Gil stopped her. "Lady Veronica, where is Lady Margaret? Is she still with the tutor?"

"Yeah." The middle princess scowled, "The tutor wouldn't let her go. Said her lessons were most important since she's the First Princess."

Gil thought of poor Margaret all alone in some boring lesson. "Lady Veronica…" He said slowly, his blush revealing his excitement, "Do you think that if we were even louder, the tutor would send Lady Margaret out to us?"

She grinned back. "It's worth a shot."

"THEN I AM THE VILE DRAGON, GILTHUNDER, WHO HAS COME TO TAKE YOU BACK TO MY LAIR!" Gil screamed on top of his lungs, and Veronica faked shock as she backed away.

"OH NO! NOT THE GIL DRAGON!"

Griamore snorted. "This is a game for babies."

"GRIAMORE!" Veronica shouted back as Gil lunged at her, "you better chase me too!"

"I- of course, Lady Veronica!" Griamore ran after them, and they quickly caught up to Hauser, whose game had somehow devolved into him "flying" Elizabeth around on his back.

Griamore, ever ready to impress Veronica, yelled at them first, "WE, THE EVIL DRAGONS, ARE HERE TO CAPTURE YOU!"

"And to be as loud as possible to rescue Lady Margaret from the clutches of the tutor!"

"Give us the Princess, Sin!" Veronica added, and Gil frowned.

"Wait, but I don't want to be a dragon, then. I want to be one of the Seven Deadly Sins too."

"Then join me, Sir Gil, in protecting the Princess!" Hauser replied, setting Elizabeth carefully and spreading his arms in front of her to guard her from the foul beasts. Gil did the same.

"You don't stand a chance!" Veronica dove forward with her stick, and Gil shielded himself with his arms. Glancing around, he spotted another, though shorter, twig nearby. A dagger would work, he supposed. He deflected her next blow, and they took a few steps away from Elizabeth in case she was hurt. She cheered them both on in turn as they dueled.

"Hah!" Gil shouted once he knocked Veronica's stick from her hands, "It is you who doesn't stand a chance against the Dragon Sin of Wrath, Meliodas!"

Veronica bowed her head in acknowledgment, but still raised her voice for Margaret's sake. "I accept my defeat. You are truly a worthy foe, Sir Meliodas."

"Veronica! Ellie!" Gil turned, blushing, as he heard Margaret's lovely voice, "Oh! Hello, Gil! And Griamore and Hauser, too! This looks like fun, everyone!"

"Margaret! The tutor finally let you escape?" Veronica asked.

The oldest princess nodded. "Actually, when he heard all the noise you were making, he complained he couldn't concentrate and just gave up!"

"Success!" Hauser cheered as he picked himself off the ground from where Griamore had been getting his revenge for the earlier teasing.

Elizabeth laughed in delight. "Now Margaret can play with us!"

Margaret smiled at them all. Of course, they probably would change to a MUCH less violent game just so Veronica wouldn't get in trouble, but Gil was still happy to have her here. Maybe, if the Princesses didn't mind, they weren't _too_ old for adventures just yet.


End file.
